Hello all! Its been a while since I was here, but I have finally put together a web portfolio with all kinds of MAPS! And even a cartographic intro! So... check it, click it, break it if you can, and let me know what you think. I am currently in Switzerland recovering from a broken ski knee, and trying to piece together a freelance career. All tips welcome! Thanks, Kevin

Andrew

Posted 11 November 2007 - 11:47 PM

Andrew

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Hey Kevin,

Love the site, really shows off some excellent Flash skills!

One comment I have though, is I find it hard to operate the menu on the "Maps" page. Its tricky to get a hold of the thumbnail of interest in the menu before it scrolls out of reach, but then again that could just be me!! Maybe some other method of scrolling through the options could also work??

I find it hard to operate the menu on the "Maps" page. Its tricky to get a hold of the thumbnail of interest in the menu before it scrolls out of reach

Andrew, thanks. I have played with that menu, but the action script is tricky. If you center the mouse on the menu, it slows to a crawl and is easy to select the thumbnail of interest. You are not the 1st one to comment on it. However, the forward and back arrows offer a second option for navigation.

CHART

Posted 12 November 2007 - 07:49 AM

CHART

Chart

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Kevin, I have the same problem that Andrew is having.
Overall, I find that the site makes me a bit dizzy (too many effects). Maybe that is just my take on building a site entirely in Flash.
Another note, my browser (Firefox) is set to stop popups. So I have to change my setting to see your pdf.

On the positive side you have an impressive portfolio, lots of awards and credentials and that alone should land you work.
Best of luck.

Derek Tonn

Posted 12 November 2007 - 12:16 PM

Derek Tonn

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Hi Kevin!

I thought that all of the effects on the site might be a bit "overdone" too. If you are obviously marketing yourself as a cartographer or map illustrator/designer, first and foremost, it almost seems that those images (THE one, major item clients will judge you on when making their hiring decision) are crowded-out or over-shadowed by all of the effects. Also, I was wondering how you are handling SEO (Search Engine Optimization) when building the site entirely in Flash....as I know that unless you are very, very particular in crossing all of your "T's" and dotting all of your "I's" in your coding, a number of the larger search engines are going to have a very difficult time locating your content. That's the one major reason why I haven't used a ton of Flash for page development to date, although I know Flash is getting better at this with every new release that comes out.

My $0.02. A fun site to play around on...but I had those two comments/suggestions as well. Good luck!

Heys guys, thanks for all the comments. Well, this is the first web site that I have ever made. I kind of put the horse before the cart in many ways, but thats my MO; jump in and swim! I thought that since I had some time with Flash and all the maps, it would be a breeze. Boy was I wrong!! Four months later, and I think I sholud have put the time into learning HTML. As for the search engines, I had no idea, or even one thought of how my site would be found by them. But I have learned a ton and think it can be solved with a simple HTML homepage. Not a prpblem at this point since I give out the domain to those I want to see it.

As far as busy, maybe. But after the intro, which can be skiped, there aren't that many effects. I really wanted something different, something that wasn't like every other site out there. Well, careful what you wish for! Anyway, it was a learning experience, and I have an entirely different mindset for the next web design, if there is a "next" one.

Erin John LeFevre

Posted 12 November 2007 - 03:45 PM

Interests:I'm interested in writing music, making maps, hiking around my home in the mountains of Colorado, and spending time with my family and friends.

United States

Hey Kevin,
Your maps look great. My only suggestion is to simplify your website and use Flash in small doses. I never watch introductions or click on "skip intro" buttons. At that point I'm already frustrated from waiting for the "Intro to the Intro" page to load and gotten nothing in return so I leave.

If you're feeling ambitious you could recreate the page using HTML/CSS/PHP (take your pick). If you want to show-off your Flash skills, one approach would be to employ a light-weight stand-alone embedded Flash menu that calls-up HTML pages in a floating i-frame (just an idea). The site would look the same, but the experience and performance on the user's end would be a more positive one. Another way to show off your Flash skills would be to create a few Flash maps.

Once again, nice work. Hope your knee heals nicely! Where are you in Switzerland?